My own personal experience with living an allergy-safe lifestyle has been the foundation in creating and perfecting the gluten-free desserts we have. I have shared parts of that personal journey and our story. Today I thought I’d share more about all the aspects that have inspired the growth of Melinda’s Gluten-Free Goodies.
Boredom with the lack of gluten-free desserts
As you may already know I’ve been a coeliac for 26 years and my frustration on eating the same limited overpriced gluten-free dessert options at cafes sparked my desire to change that. Initially, 17 years ago now, our business was focused on great tasting gourmet gluten-free cakes for cake cabinets around south-east Queensland as a way to solve that issue.
Following that we launched our baking mix range (minus the usual chemicals and preservatives) into Woolworths nationally, followed by Coles. They presented and tasted like homemade cakes (and just happened to be gluten-free!). We spent the following years expanding overseas and into the catering market, and somehow managed to fit in having three kids! Our baking mixes tend to follow my life changes.
My personal life and health
As an exhausted mum of three kids, all under four years old, with two businesses that were growing rapidly and no time to eat properly – say hello to an extra 30 kgs of weight on a failing and painful lower back. My overall health and wellbeing was failing when someone handed me a copy of Sweet Poison by David Gillespie. It was the right ‘read’ at the right time. So, I decided to quit sugar (fructose) and over 18 months with minimal exercise I lost 30kg. More exciting 11 years on, I’ve continued this lifestyle, and I’ve never put that weight back on.
As a Coeliac, low carber who avidly lives a 16:8 fasting lifestyle it’s deeply personal for me to expand the existing Melinda’s Low Carb range (muffins, pancake/waffle & seed cracker mix) and I felt a gluten-free dessert option would be perfect. My fellow Coeliac’s are generally dessert lovers. As are most people who are type 2 Diabetic or have chosen a low-carb or keto lifestyle. I’ve been living on a low carb diet for over 10 years and generally cook everything from scratch.
A low carb diet avoids sugar and simple carbohydrates whereas a gluten-free diet includes both in most meals. A gluten-free diet is typically ‘carb-city’. Especially now there is such an amazing array of gluten-free products both locally and imported. Don’t get me wrong, I do love carbs as much as the next person. I just choose top quality carbs and enjoy them mostly on the weekend and when I eat out. If I can enjoy a gluten-free pizza but then finish with the keto dessert then it’s not such a big carb load on my system.
I’m still coeliac first and then low-carb by choice. There are plenty of times when the only choice is some gluten-free fries and I’ve no problems taking that option!! Otherwise I spend my weeks enjoying gluten-free and low carb desserts with my daily coffees. I make my own gluten-free and low-carb wraps and enjoy plenty of meats, veggies and salads. When low carb I don’t tend to eat as much as the protein and fats fill me nicely. It’s a nice change from always being hungry when I was on a standard gluten-free diet.
Friends and Family
Friends and family asked me what I was eating. I was sharing recipes that I’d converted to be gluten-free and fructose-free and everyone loved them. Most couldn’t stick to the change without some treaties, including me. So, we added two fructose-free baking mixes so it was quick and easy for them to help stay on track. A few years later I read Brain Grain and then decided to reduce carbs from my life (my kids really disliked my Christmas reading!!) and the same thing happened.
I created a range of baked goodies that were gluten-free and low-carb so I could still enjoy my life. Again, my family and friends who were trying to do the same couldn’t create the same type of treaties. So, I added gluten-free and low-carb baking mixes to our range to make their lives easier and help them stick to low carb. We’ve been adding to them ever since. The new keto pudding mixes are an extension to this range and my family and friends couldn’t be more excited.
Typically a product will join the Melinda’s family when I make it enough at home and guests, friends and family start demanding the recipe! Taking into consideration what’s already on the market, demands from the gluten-free and low-carb communities and how it would work with our existing range. These keto pudding mixes were the perfect choice. I feel we’ve nailed the taste and texture of these puddings as most of my taste testers don’t fit into any of these categories. They typically eat a glutinous carb diet and they absolutely loved them. It’s a great feeling to be able to create a quick and easy, delicious gluten-free dessert. Especially ones that are also healthy and doesn’t impact people’s diet, lifestyle or their blood glucose levels.
At an average price of $1.80 per serve (once prepared) and each box creating 8 desserts they are also super cost effective for our target markets. Whether that’s home bakers, gluten-free bakeries or foodservice catering! It certainly changes the game when it comes to those $7 limited gluten-free options that used to fill cafes. It’s widened the variety of goodies that adhere to our allergy-safe lifestyle and satisfy our sweet tooths. Since we came into the business 17 years ago the available options for gluten-free desserts and allergy-safe foods has expanded. I hope we played a part in that.
